Watch-regulator.



No. 645,657. Patented Mar. 20, |900.

- E. AVILA.

WATCH REGULATDH.

(Application md oct. 9, 1899.)

(No Mudd.)

M2,@M' Hellweg/5,

vIO

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ENRIQUE AVLA, OF TOLUCA, MEXICO.

WATCH-REGULATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 645,657', dated March 20, 1900.

Application filed October 9, 1899. Serial No. 733,037. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom 1v 'nt/ty con/cerny' Be it known that I, ENRIQUE AVILA, a citizen ot' the Republic of Mexico, residing at Toluca, in the State of Mexico and Republic of Mexico, have invented a new and useful lVatch-lvlovement, (patented in Mexico April 1l, 1899, No.'1,467,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in watch-movements 5 and it has for its object to provide a simple construction of regulator by which the hair-sprin g is prevented from catching in other parts of the movement and becoming disarranged, so that its tension will affect the timekeeping qualities of the watch, such regulator being capable of a minute adjustment for slightly varying the tension of the hair-spring, and thereby accurately regulate the speed of the movement:

lVith these ends in view the invention consists in the novel combination of devices and in the construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is an enlarged view of the balance-bridge looking at the same in top plan with the improved regulator supported thereon. Fig. 2 is an under or bottom plan view of the balance-bridge and the hair-spring, representing the regulator applied in operative relation thereto. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the regulator detached from the balance-bridge, the .dotted line representing a fragment of the hairspring.

The same numerals of reference are used to indicate like and corresponding parts in each of the several gures of the drawings.

My invention contemplates a novel construction of the regulator by which I am able to dispense with the usual lever or ingerthat is employed to vary the tension of the hairspring, said lever of ordinary construction having regulator-pins which are engaged with the outer coil of the hair-spring near the free end thereof. It is well known by those skilled in the art that the hair-spring is displaced sometimes from engagement with the regulator-pins by'jarring the watch, and this end of the hair-spring is liable to be caught in a coil of the spring itself or in another part of the watch-movement. Hence the operative length of the spring is varied and the timekeeping qualities of the watch areaffected. According to my invention the regulator is constructed to confine or hold the free end of the hair-spring, and this regulator has a shiftable member which is adjustable concentric with the axis of the balance-staff and i's engaged vwith the outercoil of the hair-spring at a point to one side of its engagement by its fixed regulator member, whereby adjustment of the shiftable regulator member along the length of the hair-spring formed by the outer coil varies the operative length of the hair-spring itself, so that the tension of the spring may be regulated to a ncety. The fixed element of the regulator is a curved plate 30, having the arms 3l 32 at its ends, and this plate is secured to the balance-bridge on the under side thereof and in the horizontal plane of the hair-spring, said plate lying concentric with the axis of the balance-staff. The arms 3l 32 are extended from the curved plate to lie in positions radial to the balance-staff, and in one arm of said plate which constitutes the iixed regulator member is a slot or opening 33, adapted to receive and confine the free end of the hair-spring. The two arms of the plate are furthermore provided with circular openings 34, in which is loosely or slidably fitted the curved screw 35, which constitutes the movable member of the regnlator. This screw is curved in lan arc of a circle, and it is supported by the regulatorplate member 30 in a position concentric with the axis of the balance-staff. The screw is provided with fine male threads to make it resemble a micrometer-screw, and it is slidably supported in the guide-openings 34 of the plate, so as to be movable endwise or longitudinally therein in a path concentric with the axis of the hair spring. The curved screw is provided at one end with an offstanding arm 37, which arm has a transverse opening or slot 38, which loosely receives the y outer coil of the hair-spring in order that the movable member of the regulator may engage adj ustably with said outer length of the hairspring at a point at one side of the point where the hair-spring is engaged with the.

fixed regulator member. This micrometerthreaded endwise-movable curved screw is engaged by a non-traveling nut 39, which 1s IOO arranged between the arms 31 32 of the fixed regulator-plate 30, and said nut is provided with an annular groove 40, into which extends one end of a stop-screw 41. Said screw Vis mounted in the regulator-plate 30 and is Vtraveling movement with the screw 35 and at Ythe same time permitting the n ut to betu rned, so as to adjust the screw endwise. t is evident that the endwise-movable screw may be shifted a minute distance for its arm 38 to slide on the outer coil of the hair-spring a slight distance in order to vary the'tension of the hair-spring, and this endwiseiadj ustment of the screw is easily and quickly effected by rotating the nut 39, which is held by its screw against traveling with the regulator-screw. The balance-bridge is provided with a slot 4l over the non-traveling nut of the shiftable regulator-screw, said slot permitting the watchmaker to have ready access to the nut for the purpose of shifting the curved screw 35 to regulate the watchmovement. Y

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the outer end of the hair-spring is confined by a fixed member of the regulator normally in its working position, so that it cannot be jarred out of place by a shock on the watch-movement, and as the shiftable regulator-screw is movable endwise around the hair-spring the outer coil thereof may be varied in length more or less in order to vary the tension of the spring and regulate the running of the watch.- l

Changes may be made in the form and proportion of some of the parts while their essential features are retained and the spirit of the invention embodied. Hence I doxnot desire to be limited to the precise form of all the parts as shown, reserving the right to vary therefrom.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim iS- Y,

1. In a watch-movement, the combination with a hair-spring, of a fixed regulator member provided with an arm having aV guideopening and having the free end of the hairspring fixed to it, and a shiftable regulator member passing through the said guide-opening and slidably connected with the outer coil of the hair-spring,l substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a watch-movement, the combination with a hair-spring, of a fixed regulator member provided with arms having guide-openings, one of the arms having the outer end of the hair-spring fixed to it, a curved shiftable member mounted in the' said guide-openings and extending beyond the fixed regulator member and slidably connected with the outer coil ofthe hair-spring, and means for moving the shiftable member lengthwise in a plane concentric with the hair-spring,subs stantially asrdescribed.

3. In a Watch-movement, the combination with a hair-spring, of a fixed regulator member provided with arms having guide-openings, one of the arms having the outer end of the hair-spring fixed toit, the curved screw constituting the shiftable member of the regulator and mounted in the said guide-openings and slidably connected with the outer coil of the hair-spring, a nutlocated between the arms and engaging the screw and adapted to move the same lengthwise, and a clamping device swiveling the screw and securing the same in its adjustment, substantially as described. i j

4. In a watch-movement, the combination with a slotted bridge, and a hair-spring, of a fixed regulator member mounted on the bridge and provided with arms having guideopenings, the outer end of the hair-spring being secured to one of said arms, a curved screw mounted in the said guide-openings and slidably connected with the outer coil of the hair-spring, the groovedV nut engagingthe curved screw, and the clamping-screw projecting into the groove of the nut and swiveling the latter and securing the same in its adjusted position, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' ENRIQUE AVILA.

W'itnesses:

C. II. ELEY AssAMonTs,

MANUEL ZARATE. 

